More than 1m getting welfare payments

WELFARE payments have increased dramatically, despite the economic boom of recent years, with more than one million people now in receipt of State supports.

Figures published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that the number of people getting the old age pension grew by 30% between 1999 and 2006, while the number of recipients of illness, disability and caring payments leapt by 43%.

In money terms, expenditure on social welfare payments more than doubled during that time, leaping by 116%. There are just over one million people — almost a quarter of the population — in receipt of a weekly welfare payment.